Apprenticeships in London

Leonie Cooper: The Government has missed its target to begin 3million apprenticeships by 2020. How are you working with the Government to improve the apprenticeship system in London?

The Mayor: It is vital that Londoners have access to the opportunities that apprenticeships provide, but since the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy, apprenticeships in London have fallen from 44,380 in 2016/17 to 40,750 in 2018/19 – a reduction of 8%.
To increase the number of apprenticeships in London, we have invested £1.3m in three Apprenticeships for Londoners projects, which will help businesses make best use of the apprenticeship levy to create nearly 2,000 apprenticeship opportunities.
We have also been working with the Department for Education on the 5 Cities Project to support apprentice diversity across all sectors and levels of apprenticeships.
We have worked with London’s businesses and London Councils to develop proposals for government to make the Apprenticeship system work better for London, and in the Skills for Londoners: Call for Action made the case for further devolution so we can make the system work better for London.

Decision on Phase 2 of Warmer Homes

Caroline Russell: A constituent has told me that Phase 2 of your Warmer Homes Programme was tendered in August 2019, with a decision expected in October 2019. What was the outcome of this decision?

The Mayor: Through my Warmer Homes programme I provide eligible fuel poor households with up to £4,000 of energy efficiency improvements to their home.
Following an Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) compliant procurement exercise, Happy Energy were appointed to deliver Phase Two of my Warmer Homes programme. The programme opened to applicants on 10 March 2020, supported through my Warmer Homes Advice Service.

Zero waste to landfill

Caroline Russell: In December 2018 you published Zero Carbon London: A 1.5C compatible plan, which identified sending zero waste to landfill by 2026 as a London-wide target. What progress have you made towards this?

The Mayor: London’s local authority collected waste (LACW) being sent to landfill has fallen from 751,000 tonnes in 2015/16 to 251,000 tonnes (7 per cent of total waste produced) in 2018/19. I expect this trend to continue as more boroughs meet my minimum recycling service level and grow their business waste recycling offering.
My target is for London to achieve zero biodegradable or recyclable municipal waste (local authority waste and privately collected businesses waste) to landfill by 2026. London sends around 1 million tonnes (16 per cent) of total municipal waste to landfill annually. This is based on surveys and best available national data as there is no requirement for business to report their waste performance.
In order to achieve my zero waste to landfill target the government in its Resources and Waste Strategy has responded to my call to put in place a range of measures by 2023, including a minimum recycling service provided to all households and businesses, tighter reporting requirements on business waste, and a robust national waste data reporting framework.

Solar and RE:NEW

Caroline Russell: As part of RE:NEW, how much solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity has been installed since the launch of the Solar Action Plan in 2018?

The Mayor: Between the launch of my Solar Action Plan on 29 June 2018 and the closure of RE:NEW on 30 April 2019, the programme did not directly support solar PV installations with social landlords. This was partly due to reduced appetite ahead of the closure of the feed-in tariff, which made them focus on projects involving insulation, boiler upgrades, communal heating improvements and the integration of energy efficiency measures into planned maintenance programmes instead.
Since my Solar Action Plan was published, my Solar Together London project (which was developed with support from RE:NEW’s innovation workstream), has installed over 700 new solar PV installation in London, with more projected to be installed before the current phase ends in May 2020.

Potential for Solar PV within the M25

Caroline Russell: In January 2019, University College London was awarded the contract to produce an online map of annual solar radiation on all roofs and areas of open land within the M25 motorway (https://www.ucl.ac.uk/bartlett/energy/news/2019/jan/ucl-energy-institute-wins-project-develop-london-solar-opportunity-map). This would allow for the potential for solar photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal installations at every building and suitable site to be estimated. When will this map finally be made public?

The Mayor: The London Solar Opportunity Map will be published in summer 2020 as per my answer last month in Mayor's Question2020/0051.

Heat pumps in London homes (2)

Caroline Russell: According to your internal analysis, revealed under a Freedom of Information request on 19 Feb 2020, 145,000 heat pumps are needed a year in our city to make the 2050 government target, and 300,000 a year to meet our carbon neutrality targets. What steps are you taking to achieve this goal?
(https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/mgla200120-0637_-_foi_response_redacted.pdf)

The Mayor: The installation of heat pumps forms part of the wider retrofitting of London’s building stock and I have developed an extensive programme of activity to deliver this. My Retrofit Accelerator - Homes and Energy Leap programmes are actively supporting retrofit activity and heat pump installation. I am also funding work to help identify the best building typologies for retrofitting heat pumps in existing buildings.
My zero carbon buildings policies are also driving the uptake of heat pumps in new developments. In 2018 there was a substantial rise in the number of developments deploying heat pump technologies, with 44% of referable applications committing to instal them. This trend is expected to continue as the electricity grid decarbonises.
But I alone cannot deliver the scale of uptake required. I have repeatedly called on government to create a regulatory and policy framework to drive low carbon heating that is supported by an appropriate financial package of support. This should now be an extremely urgent priority for the government and whilst, I am pleased to see that in the budget the government has announced an extension to the domestic Renewable Heat Incentive and committed to a new Low Carbon Heat Support Scheme this only provides a very small part of the overall support that will be needed to meet our targets. This assumes London is eligible to apply.

Heat pumps in London homes (1)

Caroline Russell: How many homes in London currently have heat pumps installed?

The Mayor: According to BEIS data, the total uptake of domestic heat pumps between April 2014 and December 2019 was 362. The uptake of the air source heat pumps was 298 and the uptake of ground source heat pumps was 64. Data can be accessed at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/rhi-monthly-deployment-data-december-2019-annual-edition
These statistics provide the number of heat pumps in receipt of the Government subsidy - Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) programme. Whilst there may be some domestic heat pumps deployed without this incentive, it is expected that most would be in receipt of the RHI and therefore captured in this data.
In February I launched my Retrofit Accelerator - Homes which is supporting social landlords and boroughs in developing whole house retrofit approaches including upgrading building fabric and renewable energy technologies such as heat pumps.
Additionally, in 2018 my development policies in the London Plan resulted in 57 applications planning to install heat pumps. Cumulatively 235 have been proposed in applications since 2013.

Wall insulation for carbon neutral homes

Caroline Russell: According to your internal analysis, revealed under a Freedom of Information request on 19 Feb 2020, 160,000 homes a year need to be retrofitted with measures like wall insulation to meet our carbon neutrality targets. How will you take steps to achieve this?
(https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/mgla200120-0637_-_foi_resp...)

The Mayor: To accelerate and build the London market and supply chain for carbon neutral homes, I recently launched my Retrofit Accelerator-Homes programme. This provides Boroughs and Housing Associations with technical expertise to undertake whole house/deep retrofit projects including the fabric of the building and renewable energy technologies. My Energy Leap programme also focuses on reducing energy grid consumption to near net-zero through whole-house refurbishments.
My Warmer Homes programme provides qualifying households with up to £4,000 to improve the energy efficiency of their homes, including those in the private sector. My £500m Energy Efficiency Fund (MEEF) is also providing low-cost financing solutions to London Boroughs and other bodies to delivery energy efficiency and renewable generation projects across London.
However, I do not have powers to enforce and regulate the energy performance of existing buildings in London. Government needs to step up and bring in broader building regulation with effective enforcement, or devolve these powers to me, to allow me to deliver high performance standards. Government must also ensure London receives a fair share of the funding made available for energy efficiency in homes.

Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) enforcement

Caroline Russell: As of April 2019, no measures have been taken by local authorities to enforce the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) in the first year of this new regulation. What work are you doing to help increase enforcement activity in every London borough?

The Mayor: My Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy met with Kwasi Kwarteng, Minister of State for Business, Energy and Clean Growth in March 2020.
She raised concerns that the existing Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard was not working effectively. Issues raised included the existing contribution cap for landlord contributions being set too low to deliver meaningful energy efficiency measures. The need to extend MEES to be applied to other housing types than the private rented sector and the lack of resources for enforcement.
In addition, she stressed the urgency of ensuring that London receives a fair share of funding from national energy efficiency schemes.
The responsibility for monitoring and enforcing MEES lies with the boroughs, it does provide an opportunity to raise the standards of the least energy efficient homes in London. I would encourage all boroughs to use the powers they have, but it is another example of powers being devolved from government without recognition of the resources needed to use them.

Third phase of Solar Together London

Caroline Russell: Mayoral Decision (MD) 2503 states that the third phase of Solar Together London was due to take place in November 2019. Has this happened?

The Mayor: Yes. The third phase of Solar Together London was open to households to register their interest from 16 September 2019. The reverse auction was then held on 22 October 2019, with an average discount of 27 per cent secured. Households had until 17 January to sign up.
Installations are now underway, with works due to complete by the end of May 2020. To date, over 700 installs have taken place in the three phases of Solar Together.

Brompton Hospital

Tony Devenish: Will you be following the example of the Leader of RBKC Council, writing to the Government and Secretary of State to outline the concerns of Londoners and RBKC Council on the issue of the Brompton hospital closure?

The Mayor: Although as Mayor I have no power to direct the delivery of health services, I am committed to using my influence and role as a political leader to champion and challenge the NHS on behalf of all Londoners. As part of this role, I developed six tests to apply to all major health and care transformation and reconfiguration programmes.
These tests are designed to help me challenge the NHS to demonstrate that major changes are in the best interest of Londoners. The tests cover health inequalities and the prevention of ill health, hospital beds, financial investment and savings, social care impact, clinical support and patient and public engagement.
If the proposed changes to the Royal Brompton Hospital meet the criteria for my tests, then I will apply them, and I will only support the proposals if my tests are met.

Apprenticeship Levy system in London

Tony Devenish: What steps have you taken to review and improve the Apprenticeship Levy system in London?

The Mayor: I currently have no powers over the apprenticeship system in London, but as outlined in the Skills for Londoners: Call for Action, I am calling on government for devolution of apprenticeship powers and funding to improve how the system works for Londoners and London’s businesses.
In the meantime, we have invested £1.3m in three Apprenticeships for Londoners projects. These will help businesses make best use of the current apprenticeship levy system as designed by the government, and support them to create nearly 2,000 apprenticeships over three years. They will also provide valuable information as to the kind of support businesses need and how they can access it to inform future apprenticeship policy.

London Chamber of Commerce and Industry 2020 manifesto

Tony Devenish: How will you be taking forward the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (LCCI) skills recommendations from their 2020 manifesto?

The Mayor: The LCCI’s recommendations align with many of the priorities identified in my Skills for Londoners Strategy so a great deal progress has already been made. We have commissioned projects to support businesses to make better use of their apprenticeship levy and launched the Careers for Londoners Action Plan, which includes the expansion of the London Enterprise Advisor Network to offer Enterprise Advisors to every state secondary school, Pupil Referral Unit and Further Education College in London.
However, fully implementing the LCCI’s 2020 manifesto recommendations on skills, would require greater devolution of skills powers from central government.
The Skills for Londoners: Call for Action sets out my vision for a post-16 skills system for London. I will continue to lobby government for greater devolution to ensure Londoners, employers and businesses get the skills they need to succeed in a fair, inclusive society and thriving economy.

London Skills Audit

Tony Devenish: What work have you undertaken to establish an annual London Skills Audit as recommended in the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (LCCI) 2020 manifesto?

The Mayor: My officers have already undertaken a significant amount of research to identify skills gaps in London; specifically the Skills for Londoners Strategy and our recent response to the Local Industrial Strategy are both underpinned by robust evidence bases which identify the characteristics and challenges of London’s labour market.
Regular business engagement via forums including the Skills for Londoners Board and Skills for Londoners Business Partnership ensures that skills policy is informed by the needs of industry. We will continue to work closely with London Councils and the Sub Regional Partnerships of boroughs to ensure that skills policy responds to local needs.

Exclusions (2)

Jennette Arnold: Gavin Williamson CBE MP (Education Secretary) has also recently stated that school discipline will be the Government’s highest education priority and set out some severe and punitive measures such as silent corridors. Do you agree with me that, given London’s disproportionate rate of exclusions, a far more inclusive approach to school discipline is required?

The Mayor: We know that the most vulnerable children in society are more likely to be either permanently excluded or not attending school.
Excluding pupils without sufficient support risks abandoning them and damaging their life chances. I agree that we need a culture shift, with an emphasis on inclusion and support for teachers to keep their students engaged in school. Evidence from Glasgow indicates that a nurturing child-centred approach is effective in reducing the numbers of children excluded and missing from school.
Through the three elements of my Inclusive Schools Programme I am supporting schools to embed an inclusive and nurturing environment. Nurture UK is delivering whole-school nurturing projects in 16 boroughs. Nurturing as a methodology, based on attachment theory, has been in use for over 50 years with proven results.

Maintained nurseries

Jennette Arnold: The National Education Union and others have recently handed a petition to Downing Street calling on the Prime Minister to make a funding commitment in the Spring Budget on 11 March 2020 that secures the long-term future of maintained nursery schools. What assessment have you made of the financial health of London’s maintained nurseries, and will you support the petition?

The Mayor: Every child deserves the best start in life. Maintained nursery schools (MNS) play a crucial role in supporting families to access quality early education.
Current funding allocations support MNS in the short term but do not provide a viable long-term solution. In 2017, when the government introduced the Early Years National Funding Formula they committed to maintaining level funding for MNS through supplementary funding until a long-term solution was put in place. However, four years later, no long-term solution has been proposed and funding is allocated at the same rate as in 2016-17. Analysis by Early Education (The British Association for Early Childhood Education) shows that this represents an 8 per cent funding cut in real terms, increasing to 14 per cent when you account for the increase in costs faced by early years providers.
I continue to support the All Party Parliamentary Group on Nursery Schools, Nursery and Reception Classes’ campaign to provide long term funding for MNS and wholeheartedly support the National Education Union’s petition. I will continue to make a case to the government for adequate funding of early years provision, including maintained nursery schools.

Access to culture for young people (3)

Jennette Arnold: There are excellent examples of grassroots projects in London, such as the Black Ticket Project which provides free or discounted tickets to young black Londoners to attend a diverse range of plays and shows, including but not just the West End. Part of their mission is supporting these young people to feel confident and welcome in these spaces where they may not have been before. How do your projects reach out to young people who may not immediately think that this kind of thing is ‘for them’?

The Mayor: My ambition is for a city where everyone can make the most of the capital’s world-leading culture, yet too many young Londoners are missing out. My Culture Strategy supports world-leading institutions and grassroots projects across London to ensure that all young people can experience the power culture has to inspire and transform their lives.
Waltham Forest, my first London Borough of Culture, engaged every school in the borough. My Young Londoners Fund has invested £7.5million in culture specific projects. In Brent, the Blueprint Collective of 82 16-32 year olds is shaping Brent’s London Borough of Culture programme. Culture Seeds, my £1million micro grant programme for grassroots cultural projects, has funded 220 projects across every London borough. 43% have been for and by local young people. And at the Museum of London, over 150,000 school children took part in their programmes in 2018-19.

Exclusions (1)

Jennette Arnold: The Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson CBE MP, has stated that he will prioritise Alternative Provision (AP) schools when assessing free school applications. There is no doubt that APs do essential work, but is increasing their numbers through free schools the right approach for London?

The Mayor: Wherever possible I want children to have the right support that means that they can stay in mainstream school. For those pupils who are either temporarily or permanently excluded from their mainstream school many Alternative Providers (APs) offer excellent education. However, the rise in the number of pupils in AP in London since 2013/14 is putting pressure on provision.
This pressure is in part due to an increase in the number of young Londoners and demand for school places across the capital. As identified by London Councils’ recent ‘Do the Maths 2020’ report, this demand now falls most heavily on secondary school age places.
The Department for Education must work with local authorities to plan new school openings and place allocations across the capital and identify areas of most need for Alternative Provision schools.

School admissions

Jennette Arnold: Recent Sutton Trust research on school admissions found that unequal admissions lead to social segregation, which has lasting effects and is letting down pupils and communities. Will you lobby the Department for Education for a fairer and more strategic admissions scheme for London?

The Mayor: School admissions are an operational issue for individual schools and are carried out within agreed local authority frameworks and under national legislation and guidance. However, I share your desire to see a more inclusive education system that is responsive to the changing demands for school places and that addresses the inequality in outcomes and attainment for all pupils. I agree with your Education Panel’s recent recommendation that the Department for Education should provide the support that enables local authorities to better plan for school demand. I also support the recommendation from the recent Sutton Trust research that schools actively consider the impact of their admissions policies on those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
I will continue to take opportunities to raise school place issues with the Government.

A new home for the Migration Museum

Jennette Arnold: The lauded Migration Museum requires a new venue as its previous temporary home at London Fire Brigade's old HQ on Albert Embankment is being redeveloped. Will you ask your officers to meet the operators of the Migration Museum to inform its search for a new site?

The Mayor: I support the Migration Museum’s search for a new permanent home in London and my officers are already working with the Museum to support it. My migration, resettlement and citizenship team first met with the Museum in 2017. Since then there has been a positive relationship, with the GLA hosting a resettlement coordinators’ meeting at the Museum in February 2018, and the Museum participating in my Windrush 70th anniversary celebration in June 2018.
Officers from my Culture team met with the Museum and the Leader of Southwark Council in 2018 to offer support for its vision for a permanent home. The Museum also met with my Deputy Mayor for Social Integration, Social Mobility and Community Engagement Debbie Weekes-Bernard and I was pleased to visit the Museum myself and see its important work in June 2019.
My Culture and Communities teams will continue to liaise with the museum to inform its search.

Cost of living for NHS staff review (2)

Onkar Sahota: Where will funding come from to support the recommendations that come from the cost of living review for nursing staff as set out in the London Health Vision?

The Mayor: I would expect this to be a matter for the London People Board. I will raise this question with Sir David Sloman at the next of our regular meetings.

Cost of living for NHS staff review (1)

Onkar Sahota: Who is responsible, and what is the timeframe, for taking forward the commitment for a cost of living review for nursing staff as set out in the London Health Vision?

The Mayor: City Hall does not have any direct powers or responsibility for nurse recruitment and retention. This review has been led by the Capital Nurse team at Health Education England (HEE). HEE in London is now working as NHS England and NHS Improvement as part of Sir David Sloman’s London Regional Executive Team. Together NHS England and NHS Improvement and HEE are establishing the London People Board which will take forward plans for nursing in London building on the work of Capital Nurse. The London People Board should be up and running soon. I will ask Sir David Sloman to confirm the timescale at our next meeting.

High streets in Havering and Redbridge (1)

Keith Prince: What specific action are you taking to support high streets in Havering and Redbridge, which are such a vital part of our community?

The Mayor: We’re working to support high streets and town centres across London. The new London Plan supports a vibrant mix of uses in town centres to help attract customers and boost economic resilience, and encourages local councils to work with businesses and residents to prepare innovative town centre strategies. We recently published the ‘High streets – Adaptive strategies’ guidance as part of my Good Growth by Design (GGbD) programme. This work is underpinned by a multi-million-pound investment in high streets through the Good Growth Fund and Crowdfund London.
My Regeneration & Economic Development team are working closely with LB Redbridge on the Ilford town centre regeneration programme. This includes a £1.8 million Good Growth Fund investment in The Spark project to support new cultural uses and affordable workspace alongside public realm improvements and other measures to increase footfall and support the night time economy. We have also invested £1.6 million in the Rainham Innovation Hub through the Good Growth Fund to diversify and strengthen the business base and support local businesses to innovate and be more productive.
I have also pledged £30,000 through Crowdfund London to revitalise the physical fabric of high streets in Romford and Collier Row through large-scale public art interventions and close engagement with the local retail community.

NHS employment good practice

Onkar Sahota: Can an NHS employer really be serious about reducing health inequalities if it has outsourced or directly employed workers paid less than the London Living Wage?

The Mayor: In June 2019 I published a series of guides to help organisations implement my London Health Inequalities Strategy. Tackling underlying inequalities in our social, economic and physical environment will have the biggest long-term impact on health and health inequalities. That is why I am continuing to encourage health organisations to pay all staff the London Living Wage and asking them to encourage organisations in their supply chains to do likewise.

Canada Water Masterplan Development

Caroline Pidgeon: Why did you not decide to call in the Canada Water Masterplan proposals for further scrutiny, given the huge strain this will put on public transport in the area?

The Mayor: Following Southwark Council’s resolution to grant planning permission the officer assessment in the Stage 2 report in respect of Transport was that subject to the transport mitigation measures secured via condition and section 106 obligation, the proposals were acceptable in strategic transport terms, line with the London Plan and the Intend to Publish London Plan.

Carbon emissions by sector in 2019

Caroline Russell: In 2019, what percentage of London’s total carbon emissions came from the domestic sector, the commercial sector and the transport sector, and what proportion of these are from the activities of GLA functional bodies?

The Mayor: The London Energy and Greenhouse Gas Inventory (LEGGI) is updated on an annual basis. The data sources used for estimating London’s emissions are based on government statistics which are published with a two-year lag.
The latest available data for London’s emissions is 2017. This estimates that London’s emissions were 30.32 million tonnes of CO2e. The breakdown was as follows:
The next LEGGI update will be published in the autumn of 2020 and will provide estimates for 2018.
The London Environment Strategy estimated that 0.5% of London’s emissions were attributable to the GLA group and we will be providing an update on GLA group emissions when we publish the LEGGI later this year.

Air quality (2)

Tony Arbour: Could the Mayor provide London Average Air Quality Levels data between February 2018-February 2020?

The Mayor: This month I published a report evaluating the improvements in London’s air quality between 2016 and 2020 using data from London’s air quality monitoring network and modelling from King’s College London. The requested data is included in this report and is available online here: https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/environment/pollution-and-air-quality/air-quality-london-2016-2020.
Key findings from the report include that since February 2017 there has been a 44 per cent reduction in roadside nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollution in the central London ULEZ, with 44,100 fewer polluting cars being driven in the zone daily. There has also been a 97 per cent reduction in the number of state primary and secondary schools that are in areas exceeding legal limits for NO2, falling from 455 in 2016 to just 14 in 2019. For the first time, parts of London meet the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended limit for particulate matter (PM2.5).

Air Quality Screening

Tony Arbour: Could the Mayor provide details of all the boroughs who received funding or provision for air quality screens?

The Mayor: To help reduce people’s exposure to air pollution I have funded the installation of green screens in 62 schools across 22 boroughs: Barking & Dagenham, Barnet, Brent, Bromley, Camden, Ealing, Enfield, Greenwich, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Hounslow, Islington, Kensington & Chelsea, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Newham, Richmond, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Wandsworth and Westminster.
Screens were installed in 40 schools in locations exceeding legal air pollution limits that took part in my School Air Quality Audit Programme. A further 21 schools have also received funding for green screens through my Greener City Fund Community Green Space Grants. One school green screen has also been funded through my Crowdfund London programme.
I have also published guidance for boroughs and others on designing green infrastructure projects to protect people from air pollution, which is available on my website at: https://www.london.gov.uk/WHAT-WE-DO/environment/environment-publications/using-green-infrastructure-protect-people-air-pollution

Trees

Tony Arbour: Could the Mayor provide the number of trees that have been planted by the Mayor per borough from May 2016 to date?

The Mayor: From May 2016 to date I have directly funded the planting of approximately 285,000 trees. This includes 174,417 trees planted between May 2016 and March 2019, and more than 111,000 trees planted this winter. All these trees will be planted by May 2020. I have also committed funds for another 4,000 street trees to be planted in 2020-21.
Transport for London planted a further 1,838 trees between May 2016 and March 2019, across the TfL road network (TLRN). TfL expect to plant at least 1,000 more trees by the end of March 2020.
I have funded tree planting in every London borough, with the attached table providing a breakdown. The number of trees planted in each borough varies according to the funding applications received, available planting space, and the type of projects.
This data includes all trees planted through my Greener City Fund grants, tree giveaways and other directly funded programmes, as well as trees planted by Transport for London on the TLRN.
It does not include the thousands of trees funded and planted directly by boroughs, environmental organisations, community groups, developers, businesses and Londoners.

COP26

Tony Devenish: Is the Mayor participating in COP26 Glasgow (9th -19th November)? Please give details.

The Mayor: COP26 presents a huge opportunity for the UK to show leadership internationally in secure commitments from countries to review their progress against existing pledges and commit to do much more. I will continue to call on the UK Government to use their presidency of COP 26 to advocate for similar meaningful domestic climate action that will support my ambition for London to be a zero carbon city.
I am currently exploring the most relevant ways that London can be involved in COP 26. My focus will be on working with partners, both internationally and within the UK, to emphasise the role cities are playing in tackling the climate emergency and to highlight the action that government should take to devolve the funding and powers city leaders need to take the ambitious action they are keen to implement. COP 26 will also be an important moment for London to demonstrate our global leadership on climate change and the implementation of actions we are undertaking, in line with the Paris Agreement. To support this, I am in ongoing conversations with the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group to explore opportunities for London to play a leading role in their planned activity ahead of and during the Summit.
I will communicate further details and my plans for London’s role in COP 26 later this year.

Terms of Reference/Contract Specifications and Tender Notification for Coaching and Mentoring Services for TfL Executives

Keith Prince: When do you intend to answer Question 2019/21054?

The Mayor: The answer to this question was published on 28th February 2020 and can be found here.

Health and Care Vision’s staffing ambitions (1)

Onkar Sahota: What action is being taken to grow London’s nursing workforce by more than 8,000 by 2024, and to reduce the capital’s nurse vacancy rate by 5% 2028, as set out in the London Health Vision?

The Mayor: City Hall does not have any direct powers or responsibility for nurse recruitment and retention. I understand that work is underway at NHS England and NHS Improvement (London Region) and Health Education England to establish the London People Board that will oversee the work to recruit and retain more nurses in London. As I said in response toMayor's Question 2020/0614I will request an update from Sir David Sloman our next quarterly meeting.

Health and Care Vision’s staffing ambitions (2)

Onkar Sahota: Can you confirm that future nursing workforce requirements have been modelled against future population health needs in London?

The Mayor: City Hall does not have any direct powers or responsibility for nurse recruitment and retention. NHS England and NHS Improvement (London Region) and Health Education England are leading work to establish the London People Board that will oversee a strategic approach to the nursing workforce requirements. When I next meet Sir David Sloman, Regional Director of NHS England and NHS Improvement, workforce will be on the agenda and I will be offering my support to his team with demographic data and population modelling expertise that we have at City Hall.

Cost of living for NHS staff review (3)

Onkar Sahota: What evidence is being used to inform the focus of the costing of living review for nursing staff as set out in the London Health Vision? How are stakeholders being involved in the process?

The Mayor: City Hall does not have any direct powers or responsibility for nurse recruitment and retention. The cost of living review has been led by Health Education England (HEE) and supported by Healthy London Partnership and discussion has taken place with representatives from HEE, NHS England and NHS Improvement, trade unions, NHS trusts and the GLA Health Team.
I understand that this review has drawn on the Royal College of Nursing’s survey, the results of which are published in their ‘Living in the Red’ report, and on publicly available data including from NHS trusts.
The review was a focused, rapid piece of work to inform the development of the London Vision and that the findings will be taken forward by the London People Board.

Water Fountains

Leonie Cooper: You recently announced the installation of water fountains in parts of Merton & Wandsworth. What further plans do you have to increase the number of fountains in Merton and Wandsworth?

The Mayor: I plan to increase the number of water fountains in Merton and Wandsworth by installing four more fountains in Merton and four more fountains in Wandsworth.
This is in addition to the two water fountains installed at Mitcham Fair Green in Merton and Garratt Park in Wandsworth.

The cost of living for nurses in London (3)

Siân Berry: What engagement with nursing staff, employers and health unions is being conducted as part of the review on the impact of the cost of living for nurses committed to in the Our Vision for London NHS plan?

The Mayor: City Hall does not have any direct powers or responsibility for nurse recruitment and retention. This review has been led by the Capital Nurse Team at Health Education England (HEE) and overseen by the London Workforce Board.
The review of the impact of the cost of living has been led by the Capital Nurse Team at Health Education England (HEE). I understand that they have engaged with a wide range of staff and employer organisations including NHS Employers, NHS trusts Royal College of Nursing and Unison. I will ask Sir David Sloman, Regional Director, NHS England and NHS Improvement to update me on the work at our next quarterly meeting.

The cost of living for nurses in London (2)

Siân Berry: Will the review on the impact of the cost of living for nurses committed to in the Our Vision for London NHS plan include a cost-benefit analysis of providing free travel passes for nurses?

The Mayor: City Hall does not have any direct powers or responsibility for nurse recruitment and retention. This review has been led by the Capital Nurse Team at Health Education England (HEE) and overseen by the London Workforce Board. Work is underway at NHS England and NHS Improvement and HEE to establish the London People Board. This new board will take forward work started by the London Workforce Board, including the impact of cost of living. I will ask Sir David Slomanfor an update on the detail of the work and intended next steps at my next quarterly meeting.
I am committed to keeping London affordable for everyone and believe that the cost of travel shouldn’t be a barrier to working, studying or enjoying life in London. That’s why I am doing what I can to ensure travel remains affordable for all Londoners - including freezing TfL fares since 2016, introducing weekly capping, creating the Hopper fare and protecting existing concessions.

The cost of living for nurses in London (1)

Siân Berry: What is the current status of the work to take forward the review on the impact of the cost of living for nurses committed to in the Our Vision for London NHS plan, when do you expect to publish the findings from the review, and will the conclusions come with new funding commitments to implement the review's recommendations?

The Mayor: City Hall does not have any direct powers or responsibility for nurse recruitment and retention. This review has been led by the Capital Nurse Team at Health Education England (HEE) and overseen by the London Workforce Board. Work is underway at NHS England and NHS Improvement and HEE to establish the London People Board. This new board will take forward the work started by the London Workforce Board, including the impact of cost of living, and will oversee London’s NHS workforce plans including oversight of funding flows.

Warmer Homes and replacement boilers

Caroline Russell: How many better boilers have been provided under your Warmer Homes programme since the programme began?

The Mayor: Through my Warmer Homes programme I provide eligible fuel poor households with up to £4,000 of energy efficiency improvements to their home.
Since January 2018 there have been 641 boiler replacements under the Warmer Homes programme.

Retrofit accelerator

Caroline Russell: What are the targets for the retrofit accelerator that has succeeded RE:NEW?

The Mayor: My Retrofit Accelerator – Homes programme has a target of 1,678 homes being either fully retrofitted, in the process of being retrofitted or in contract to be retrofitted by August 2022. Of those, at least 50 homes need to have ‘deep retrofits’ completed and monitored during this period.
’Deep retrofits’ will take a whole house approach and reduce the carbon each home is responsible for by an average of 60 per centand in many cases to near net-zero energy. For comparison these homes should save 2.5 times as much carbon per home than was achieved on average under the previous RE:NEW programme.

Higher Education Research

Susan Hall: In the economic development strategy (2017) it states that you will partner to “conduct research into London’s high rate of non-continuation into higher education”, what were the conclusions and recommendations from that research?

The Mayor: We commissioned the Social Market Foundation to undertake this research. The final report Building on Success identified the main drivers of non-continuation in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in London. It found that students at lower tariff HEIs were more at risk of not continuing if they had taken a non-A level route (e.g. BTEC) and lived with their parents or guardians. Black students tend to be overrepresented in these groups compared with other ethnic groups. At medium and higher tariff universities students from lower socio-economic groups were more at risk of dropping out.
The report recommended that the Office for Students explore alternative metrics to identify disadvantaged students in HE. The current measure, the Participation of Local Areas (POLAR), is likely to understate the numbers of students from less advantaged backgrounds in London progressing to higher education. Additionally, the report recommended HEIs increase support for non-A level students transitioning to HE.

The cost of living for nurses in London (5)

Siân Berry: Alongside the review on the impact of the cost of living for nurses committed to in the Our Vision for London NHS plan, will you publish detailed information on surplus NHS land, including that currently for sale?

The Mayor: City Hall does not have any direct powers or responsibility for nurse recruitment and retention or for NHS land. The GLA continues to work with NHS and other partners to deliver the shared London Health and Care Vision and The London Plan.
Data relating to surplus NHS land is held by the Department of Health and Social Care and treated as commercially sensitive. NHS Digital publishes an annual surplus land return based on data collected from NHS Trusts. In line with NHS EstateCode, individual NHS organisations should register land declared as surplus on the Electronic Property Information Mapping Service (EPIMs) giving other public sector organisations the opportunity to express an interest prior to sites being disposed of on the open market. The GLA is not in a position to publish this information.

The cost of living for nurses in London (4)

Siân Berry: Will the review on the impact of the cost of living for nurses committed to in the Our Vision for London NHS plan include an inventory of NHS accommodation currently available for nurses, and will it include information about the total number of nurses currently living in accommodation designated for nurses?

The Mayor: The Royal College of Nursing’s report, ‘Living in the Red’ highlighted the importance of accommodation costs as a factor in recruitment and retention of nurses. Work is underway at NHS England and NHS Improvement and Health Education England to establish the London People Board, which will oversee the approach to nurse recruitment and retention across London. I would expect as part of that work that the NHS would want to maximise the utilisation of their assets including accommodation and land. It is important to note however thatCity Hall does not have any direct powers or responsibility for nurse recruitment and retention.

Carbon neutral by 2030

Tony Devenish: Will the Mayor comment on the Sunday Telegraph article on 8th March that states that his target of making London a carbon neutral city by 2030 is unachievable?

The Mayor: My officers rightly briefed me on the challenges of bringing forward my net zero carbon target within the context of a national government that continues to drag its feet.
Some may say that a 2030 target isn't achievable but it’s clear to me that we can’t afford not to try. We are now seeing more action to tackle climate change by cities, businesses and individuals and we must build on this momentum.
We can’t betray future generations by saying it’s going to be too hard.
I have always been clear that with the powers at my disposal I can only deliver around half the action needed to address climate change. This is why government needs to step up and roll out retrofit programmes and incentives, support decentralised energy generation and bring forward to 2030 the ban on sales of fossil fuelled vehicles.

London's Landscape

Tony Devenish: What are you doing to ensure any new on-shore wind turbines are in keeping with London's landscape?

The Mayor: Maximising renewable energy generation in London is one of my key objectives, which will contribute towards London becoming a zero-carbon city, as set out in my 1.5⁰C compatible plan.
On-shore wind has an important role in decarbonising the national electricity grid and I am pleased that government has reversed its decision and is supporting this technology.
However, its application in urban environments, such as London, is limited. The space needed and the density of development in large parts of London does not allow for the available airflow to make such schemes successful in most areas of the city.
As and when applications come forward in areas where there is sufficient available airflow, they will be assessed in line with relevant policies in my London Plan, which consider the appropriateness of proposals and impacts they may have on the built and natural environment, including in relation to the Green Belt.

Girls in STEM (1)

Jennette Arnold: At our recent meeting, the Education Panel heard that interventions to improve representation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) need to happen far before GCSEs, in primary school. What more could you do to promote STEM with this age group?

The Mayor: Addressing gender stereotypes early is key to helping build girls’ science capital and confidence. In 2019 I funded the Gender Action programme; a whole-school approach to tackle gender stereotyping in schools and nurseries, including in STEM. In addition, my Mayor’s London Scientist programme is increasing its focus on primary schools this year, starting with two primary science events at City Hall this spring: a free primary science teacher training session at City Hall in March and a Great Science Share event for primary schools in June. Since 2017, I have also delivered 90 RE:CODE workshops which have engaged more than 6,000 primary school pupils in creative coding challenges. A further 19 workshops for over 1,500 pupils will be held over four days at The Crystal this spring.

Girls in STEM (2)

Jennette Arnold: At our recent meeting, the Education Panel heard that interventions to improve representation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) need to happen far before GCSEs, in primary school.
We also heard about the importance of young women and girls going on trips to see women in STEM in action. Would you consider bringing forward a programme of educational trips to STEM workplaces for young women and girls in London?

The Mayor: Research shows that children develop career aspirations from as early as four-years-old. My five World of Work Explorer Trails introduce primary children to the kind of work that they may want to do when they are older. The Old Street trail focuses on careers linked to technology and the digital world, the Stratford trail on construction, and the Southwark trail health sector careers. I have partnered with STEM Learning so that each secondary school taking part in the Mayor’s London Scientist programme is matched with a STEM Ambassador. STEM Ambassadors are volunteers from STEM related jobs who offer their time and enthusiasm to help bring STEM subjects to life.
MyLondon Enterprise Adviser Networkhas developed a series of blueprints for businesses who wish to host visits from young Londoners. This has been shared with all 480 of the business volunteers.59 per cent ofvolunteershave a job role that involves STEMand 50 per cent of those arewomen.
I am investing a further £4m of European Social Funding in ten Careers Clusters where schools work with businesses to develop 6-month pilot projects to introduce their students to the world of work. Our experience of the first Careers Clusters from 2016 to 2018 showed the value of projects where students could see Londoners in action.We’ll continue to work with STEM partners to promote opportunities for girls to get hands on experience of these careers.

Girls in STEM (3)

Jennette Arnold: How can you help raise the profile of women in STEM to act as role models for young Londoners?

The Mayor: There are hundreds of organisations and businesses in London that do brilliant work in raising the profile of women working in STEM, and I collaborate with and champion many of them. A key part of my Mayor’s London Scientist programme is linking STEM professionals and schools. This year, students in more than 40 secondary schools across London are working on STEM projects alongside real-life scientists, of whom 50 per cent are women. I make sure that my education resources, such as the World of Work trails for primary children and the London Curriculum, feature female and BAME role models.
However, such initiatives must go hand in hand with structural change if they are to be effective. Today, not a single woman scientist is mentioned in the national curriculum for GCSE science. This exclusion of female role models sends a detrimental message to young girls and boys during their years in school. What I am doing is investing in initiatives such as Gender Action, which work to raise awareness of and tackle harmful gender stereotyping in nurseries and schools in London.

Girls in STEM (4)

Jennette Arnold: At our recent meeting, the Education Panel heard that interventions to improve representation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) need to happen far before GCSEs, in primary school.
Panellists also raised the importance of creativity and arts in STEM subjects. How do your programmes help young Londoners to develop creative problem-solving skills?

The Mayor: My Mayor’s London Scientist programme funds school students to undertake a STEM project and achieve a CREST Award. Students work in teams to identify and solve a real-life challenge in their local area. Project-based learning is a key method for developing transferrable skills such creativity, problem-solving and teamwork, and is proven to particularly benefit girls’ success and self-efficacy in STEM. So far more than 7,200 young Londoners have completed an award through the programme, of whom 50 per cent have been girls.
I run RE:CODE London programme in partnership with LEGO® Group and the Institute of Imagination. It has provided thousands of primary school children with the opportunity to develop and use creative problem-solving skills to tackle some of the city’s biggest challenges. This is a great example of the intersection between STEM and the arts, where students design, build and code their own robot. We are running many more of these events across 2020.
Transport for London’s Technology and Data Outreach programme is run in schools by TfL employees. Students learn basic programming used to display live bus and train arrival information. Since 2016 the programme has reached 5,500 pupils.

Girls in STEM (5)

Jennette Arnold: What investment and support do you provide for extra-curricular activities for young women and girls to get involved in STEM?

The Mayor: My £45m Young Londoners Fund provides positive activities for young people aged 10 to 21. I explicitly encouraged applications to deliver science and technology extra-curricular activities when I launched round 2 of the Fund in May 2019. I now fund 28 science and technology and digital YLF projects. For example, Digital Creatives, run by the Institute of Imagination and OnSide Future Youth Zone, delivers creative digital technology-based workshops which are co-created by young people to develop practical and problem-solving skills.
My Mayor’s London Scientist programme explicitly asks teachers to involve equal numbers of girls and boys, with our data showing a 50/50 balance in participation. Students work in teams, often at STEM Clubs, to identify and solve real-world challenges in their local area. This method is proven to benefit girls’ self-efficacy in STEM. Since 2018, it has funded 7,200 students across London to gain the nationally recognised CREST Award.
My RE:CODE London programme also offers extra-curricular coding workshops for whole classes, ensuring gender balance. Since November 2017, it has explored hands-on STEM challenges with more than 6,000 primary school students.
Transport for London’s Technology and Data Outreach programme is run in schools by TfL employees. Students learn basic programming used to display live bus and train arrival information. Since 2016 the programme has reached 5,500 pupils.

Young Londoners Fund Projects in Sutton

Fiona Twycross: Please provide a list of projects that have received funding in Sutton as part of the Young Londoners Fund since its inception.

The Mayor: Through my Young Londoners Fund I have funded over 300 projects which will reach more than 110,000 young people across London. Seven of these projects include support to young people from Sutton. A table of these projects is attached. A full list of projects funded through the Young Londoners Fund, including 15 which are pan-London, can be found at https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/young-londoners-fund-projects

Young Londoners Fund Projects in Croydon

Fiona Twycross: Please provide a list of projects that have received funding in Croydon as part of the Young Londoners Fund since its inception.

The Mayor: Through my Young Londoners Fund I have funded over 300 projects which will reach more than 110,000 young people across London. 37 of these projects include support to young people from Croydon. A table of these projects is attached. A full list of projects funded through the Young Londoners Fund, including 15 which are pan-London, can be found at https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/young-londoners-fund-projects

The cost of living for nurses in London (6)

Siân Berry: Will the review on the impact of the cost of living for nurses committed to in the Our Vision for London NHS plan include workforce modelling to identify the required nurse staffing levels required in London to provide safe and effective patient care for the next ten years?

The Mayor: City Hall does not have any direct powers or responsibility for nurse recruitment and retention. Nursing numbers in London will be overseen by the London People Board. Work is underway at NHS England and NHS Improvement and Health Education England to establish this board. I will request an update at my next meeting with Sir David Sloman, Regional Director NHS England and NHS Improvement.

The cost of living for nurses in London (7)

Siân Berry: What workforce modelling have you done through the London Health Board to determine the supply of registered nurses needed to reduce London’s nursing vacancy rate to five per cent by 2028, as set out in the Our Vision for London NHS plan?

The Mayor: City Hall does not have any direct powers or responsibility for nurse recruitment and retention. This review has been led by the Capital Nurse Team at Health Education England (HEE) and overseen by the London Workforce Board.
Work is underway at NHS England and NHS Improvement and HEE to establish the London People Board. This new board will take forward the work started by the London Workforce Board, including London-level action to support the recruitment and retention of nurses. I will request an update from Sir David Sloman at the next of our quarterly meetings.

Accessible housing

Siân Berry: Your Annual Monitoring Report 15 for 2017-18 found that only seven per cent of new developments built were suitable for wheelchair users; while just 66 per cent of remaining new builds were built to be accessible and adaptable. This is well below the required 10 per cent of homes reaching the standard M4(3) and 90 per cent for M4(2). What are you doing to improve these figures for the 1.3 million disabled adults in London?

The Mayor: My new London Plan contains policies to ensure that housing developments provide suitable housing and genuine choice for London’s diverse population, including disabled people. Policy D5 Accessible Housing aims to increase housing choice and the proportion of London’s housing stock which is accessible and adaptable. To support the implementation of these policies and delivery of accessible and inclusive housing I have recently published draft planning guidance on housing design. You can view this draft guidance here: https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/planning/implementing-london-plan/planning-guidance/good-quality-homes-all-londoners-spg-pre-consultation-draft
In addition, through my Care and Support Specialised Housing (CASSH) Fund, I am making at least £100m of capital funding available to deliver specialist homes for older and disabled Londoners. My Homes for Londoners team continue to work with registered providers and local authorities to develop more specialist homes.

Cost of carbon neutral homes in London

Caroline Russell: How much money do you need from Government to bring all London homes up to standards fit for your 2030 carbon neutral target?

The Mayor: I have made it clear that if I am re-elected I will bring forward London’s net zero carbon target to 2030.
As part of my 1.5°C compatible plan I estimated the cumulative discounted costs for all buildings to achieve my net zero carbon target by 2050 are £56bn (including energy efficiency, connections to heat networks, installation of heat pumps and renewable energy technologies), but would likely be higher to achieve net zero by 2030.
My retrofit accelerator homes programme is supporting social landlords and boroughs in developing whole house retrofit approaches. As well as committing funding through the Mayor’s Energy Efficiency Fund and my Energy for Londoners programme, government must ensure London receives a fair share of national funding streams for the decarbonisation of buildings, including homes and also put in place the right regulation to drive change at scale.

Green New Deal (1)

Leonie Cooper: I welcome your commitment to invest £50m in a Green New Deal (GND) for London. Over how many years will this money be spent?

The Mayor: My £50 million Green New Deal will support projects aimed at reducing London's climate change emissions and other harmful environmental impacts including from our toxic air, while equipping its citizens and businesses to benefit from the opportunities presented by the transition to a zero-carbon future. The fund will run for three years from 2020-21 to 2022-23 and will leverage investment from third parties, including the private and public sector, to maximise the benefits delivered.

Green New Deal (3)

Leonie Cooper: What targets and deliverables will you set to ensure the £50m London GND fund is spent most effectively?

The Mayor: Key principles for the fund will include encouraging collaboration, that all sectors to take action, it has a real impact for Londoners – especially the most disadvantaged – and helps accelerate scale up of climate action.
As per my answer to Mayor's Question 2020/1266, further detailed work on how the fund will operate, targets and deliverables are under development and will be announced in due course.

Green New Deal (2)

Leonie Cooper: When do you expect to be able to commission programmes under the £50m London GND fund?

The Mayor: Further detailed work on how the fund will operate is currently being undertaken. However examples of the kind of projects that the fund might support include:
Full details on timescales for allocating funding will be announced in due course.

Consumption emissions (1)

Leonie Cooper: Your recent report into London’s climate impacts showed that consumption-based emissions are nearly triple the level of emissions occurring in London and for our energy. Since 2001, consumption emissions have also fallen significantly less than emissions occurring in London. How are you reducing London’s consumption emissions?

The Mayor: My new London Plan includes a pioneering policy that targets the whole life-cycle emissions of new development, including the embedded emissions associated with their construction. This new policy will ensure that key players in the construction industry, from developers to engineers and architects, play their part in responding to the climate emergency by designing and building according to whole lifecycle principles.
I am also working with the London Waste and Recycling Board to explore how we can change consumption habits to reduce food waste and promote new sustainable models of consumption for textiles.
Through my Responsible Procurement policy, I am targeting our own supply chain emissions. Through this policy we give a clear direction to those that provide services that best practice, in terms of emissions reductions, must be achieved.

Retrofit Accelerator - Workplaces

Leonie Cooper: What targets do you have for bringing new organisations into the Retrofit Accelerator for workplaces scheme?

The Mayor: Bringing in new public sector organisations to use the Retrofit Accelerator Workplaces scheme is essential to the programme being able to meet its ambitious KPIs on saving energy and carbon emissions from buildings in London.
As such we are setting the new Programme Delivery Unit with a target of getting at least 40 new organisations signed-up to Retrofit Accelerator – Workplaces. Growing the pipeline will be a key workstream of the new PDU.

Consumption emissions (3)

Leonie Cooper: New housing is one of the largest sources of consumption emissions. What tangible steps are you taking to bring down embodied carbon in new homes?

The Mayor: My new London Plan is introducing world-leading policy requiring all referable developments to calculate and reduce whole life-cycle carbon emissions. My definition of whole life-cycle carbon covers operational and embodied carbon emissions associated with materials, construction, repair, refurbishment, demolition and end of life.
As well as reducing embodied carbon, this policy will encourage the re-use of existing materials in line with circular economy principles, while supporting the local sourcing of materials and the London economy. I will shortly be publishing a new guidance document for developers outlining how to comply with this policy.
The new London Plan also supports precision manufacturing in the delivery of new homes which has the potential to reduce the embodied carbon from homes even further.

Consumption emissions (2)

Leonie Cooper: Reducing consumption emissions requires international cooperation. How are you pursuing this with partners through C40 Cities and other networks?

The Mayor: Tackling consumption emission requires working with partners both domestically and internationally and I am committed to taking action in London on this issue.
On international cooperation, my officers are in ongoing discussions with C40 to identify key opportunities for London to engage in their emerging work programme on consumption emissions. Most recently, I committed London to the C40 Good Food Declaration at the C40 Summit in Copenhagen which commits cities to tackling emissions through food consumption, in line with my Food Strategy.
My officers are also engaged in other international networks to advance action in London on consumption emissions. This includes the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance steering group for embodied carbon which is developing a policy framework for cities, where we are inputting learnings from my London Plan policies.

Green New Deal (5)

Leonie Cooper: Will some of the Adult Education Budget be used to develop the skills base needed to make your London GND a success?

The Mayor: We have started assessing the demand for green skills in London in response to the need to transition to a low carbon circular economy and be able to deliver my proposed Green New Deal. This work includes planned analysis by GLA Economics and will also be informed by responses to the current Skills for Londoners Framework consultation. In this consultation, I have asked providers to respond on how they are embedding green skills in their provision and supporting their staff to deliver these skills. This work will help inform the development of my Adult Education Budget and how it is deployed as well as my proposed Green New Deal.

Green New Deal (4)

Leonie Cooper: If this is a success, could we see more funding allocated to a London GND in the future?

The Mayor: The £50m fund is intended to kick start action to address the most urgent challenges, demonstrate how progress can be made and identify opportunities for action at scale.
It also complements existing programmes and sources of funding that address my Green New Deal objectives including my skills budget, £34 million energy for Londoners programme, my £500 million Mayor’s Energy Efficiency Fund and the £800 million I have allocated to air quality.
In addition to accelerating financial flows to achieve net zero ambitions government must devolve funding and powers to address the urgent and true scale of the climate and ecological emergency.

Access to Arts and Culture

Fiona Twycross: Just 15% of workers in London’s national portfolio organisations are from black and ethnic minority backgrounds compared to 40% of London’s working population. How can you and the Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries tackle this inequality and ensure culture and the arts are open to all Londoners?

The Mayor: I agree that the cultural sector as a whole is not representative of London and that much more must be done to increase diversity. This is a top priority in my Culture Strategy. National portfolio organisations are funded by Arts Council England and I have written to its Chair calling on the organisation to prioritise progress on this issue.
I have worked with the trade union BECTU to launch a Theatre Diversity Action Plan with 50 London theatres so far pledging to diversify their workforce. I have also funded Film London’s Equal Access Network to support screen industry employers like HBO and Sony to recruit and retain more representative employees. My £500k skills programme in Haringey’s Creative Enterprise Zone will enable local people to learn with Fashion Enter, 50% of whom will be from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds.

Economic Benefit of the London Borough of Culture

Susan Hall: Please quantify and give examples of the economic benefit of London Borough of Culture for Waltham Forest?

The Mayor: London Borough of Culture has generated significant economic benefit for Waltham Forest.
Their evaluation, published on 6 March 2020, showed that over £4.1million was spent in the local area by audiences across their 10 main events alone. Over £1.1m was secured in external funding and investment. 70% of creative businesses in Waltham Forest reported increased revenue in 2019 and 241 local businesses were commissioned through the programme.
There were over 500,000 visits to cultural activities and events in the borough, with 33% of audiences coming from outside of the borough and 83% of attendees spending money locally. All of this has supported the Council’s aim to put Waltham Forest firmly on the map as a visitor destination, supporting a growing and sustainable visitor economy.

Unstable employment

Shaun Bailey: Recent research showed that young ethnic minority workers are more likely to be in unstable employment. What specific action are you taking to address this problem for young Londoners?

The Mayor: Through the Good Work Standard, we are encouraging employers to improve working practices for all Londoners by investing in training and adopting the London Living Wage.
My Skills for Londoners Strategy aims to empower all Londoners to access the education and skills to participate in society and progress in education and work. To do this, we have made significant changes to the Adult Education Budget, to increase access to training for low-paid Londoners and improve outcomes in English and maths.
We have introduced targeted ESF programmes, which support the pay and progression of disadvantaged Londoners in the workplace.
The Mayor’s Construction Academy and Digital Talent Programme are specifically supporting more young people from BAME backgrounds to access the skills they need to progress in work, and the Workforce Integration Network is supporting young black men aged 16 to 24 into living wage employment, with an initial focus on the construction and digital sectors.

Young Londoners Fund

Shaun Bailey: Following the recent £25 million investment in the Young Londoners Fund, do you have any plans for the projects and programmes that you will provide and what Key Performance Indicators will you put in place to ensure that they provide positive opportunities for disadvantaged young people and help steer them away from crime?

The Mayor: Earlier this month my budget allocated a further £25m to build on the Young Londoners Fund – providing new funding for projects and programmes that provide positive opportunities for disadvantaged young people and help steer them away from crime. The Young Londoners Fund is a key part of my public health approach to violence reduction and tackling its root causes by offering young people access to safe spaces and positive activities.
One strand of the new funding will support community sport organisations to deliver activities during the 2020 summer holidays, targeted in particular at young people at risk of, or involved in, crime or anti-social behaviour. Our priority with this new funding is to build even stronger partnerships with others to ensure that we can together ensure sustainable support for London’s young people. We will be working closely with partners in the coming months to develop our plans and key performance indicators.

Young Londoners Fund Projects in Wandsworth

Leonie Cooper: Please provide a list of projects that have received funding in Wandsworth as part of the Young Londoners Fund since its inception.

The Mayor: Through my Young Londoners Fund I have funded over 300 projects which will reach more than 110,000 young people across London. Twenty of these projects include support to young people from Wandsworth. A table of these projects is attached. A full list of projects funded through the Young Londoners Fund, including 15 which are pan-London, can be found at https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/young-londoners-fund-projects

Young Londoners Fund Projects in Merton

Leonie Cooper: Please provide a list of projects that have received funding in Merton as part of the Young Londoners Fund since its inception.

The Mayor: Through my Young Londoners Fund I have funded over 300 projects which will reach more than 110,000 young people across London. Ten of these projects include support to young people from Merton.A table of these projects is attached. A full list of projects funded through the Young Londoners Fund, including 15 which are pan-London, can be found at:https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/young-londoners-fund-projects

Reduction and Recycling Plans

Leonie Cooper: Can you provide an update on the publication of Borough Reduction and Recycling Plans? How many are yet to be received?

The Mayor: Proposal 7.2.1.b in my London Environment Strategy requires all London boroughs to produce Reduction and Recycling Plans (RRPs) by 2020.
I have received draft RRPs from all boroughs. I have so far approved four of these (Enfield, Hackney, Richmond and Tower Hamlets) and a further 17 approval letters are with my office for final sign-off.
Two RRPs are with boroughs for Cabinet approval of final versions that GLA officers have already commented on.
GLA officers are finalising their review of all the remaining RRPs and I expect these to be approved in the coming weeks.

Access to parks (2)

Leonie Cooper: How do you work with schools to promote the benefits of and enable outdoor education?

The Mayor: Since 2016 my Greener City Fund has supported 59 projects to green school playgrounds. These projects have supported outdoor education in schools by installing green screens and creating natural play areas and growing spaces. I have also provided 16,000 free trees to over 180 schools. Many more Greener City Fund projects have worked with schools, involving over 60,000 children.
To help schools discover green spaces beyond the playground, Wild About London launches this month as part of my London Curriculum. This free teacher resource features lesson plans to get outside the classroom and explore London’s wildlife and habitats. It has been developed with the Canal and River Trust, Field Studies Council, Kew Gardens, London Wildlife Trust and Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. This will help more children benefit from exploring, playing and learning outdoors. I have also supported the establishment of the National Park City Schools Network to meet these aims.

Deposit Return Scheme

Leonie Cooper: What discussions have you had with Government to make progress on London becoming a trial location for their Deposit Return Scheme, as the Assembly called for in July 2019 and the Environment Committee called for in its April 2017 report on single-use plastic water bottles?

The Mayor: We responded to the Defra consultation on introducing a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in May of last year following the publication of the national Resources and Waste Strategy. In that response I strongly supported the implementation of a well designed DRS that includes the widest possible application and widest possible range of materials and is fully aligned and synchronised with more consistent recycling services and a greater role for producer responsibility.
Prior to the publication of the Resources and Waste Strategy GLA officers offered for London to host a trial deposit return scheme. This offer was not taken up as Defra stated they were not looking to establish a trial at that stage. At the time of the consultation Defra made it clear they still did not wish to develop a trial, preferring to develop a nation-wide approach.
However, in my response I made it clear that London’s local authorities are well positioned to facilitate a network of DRS infrastructure and that London’s local authorities should be seen as a key partner of any DRS management organisation.

Access to parks (1)

Leonie Cooper: Data from Natural England shows just 56% of London’s children from BAME backgrounds spend time outside once a week, compared to 70% of white children. How do your environment programmes address this inequality?

The Mayor: I want all Londoners, especially children, to have access to green space and nature. To date, I have awarded funding to over 250 community-led projects including 59 projects to green school playgrounds.
BAME Londoners are more likely to live in areas of higher deprivation which tend to have fewer green spaces. My grants are supporting investment in these neighbourhoods to create more attractive outdoor spaces. This year over half of the 54 community projects awarded funding are in London’s 20 per cent most deprived wards, for example, the new nature adventure area at Elam Street Open Space in Lambeth.
My National Park City Festival in July 2019 targeted Londoners who tend not to use green spaces. Of the 90,000 attendees 35,000 were children, 23,000 BAME Londoners and 9,000 18-24-year olds.
Learning from the festival will be used to engage younger BAME Londoners in future events.

Call-ins

Nicky Gavron: Could you provide an updated table to the response you gave to my question 2019/9265, providing breakdown of the total number of units by bedroom-size and tenure, and the changes to each that have been secured following the call-in on applications you have called-in since coming to office?

The Mayor: The updated complete breakdown of housing numbers by application scheme, before and after call-in, is shown in the attached table.
Across the 14 cases that the Deputy Mayor for Planning, Regeneration & Skills and I have called-in and approved at a Representation Hearing, I have secured an additional 599 affordable and social rented homes and an additional 684 intermediate homes following call-in. I have also increased delivery of 1, 2 and 3 bedroom homes across all affordable tenures. Overall, my interventions have delivered an additional 635 homes for Londoners following call-in and almost 9,000 new homes in total.

Connington Road Lewisham Appeal

Nicky Gavron: How much was spent by the GLA for the planning appeal and public inquiry for the Connington Road, Lewisham, site (GLA case number: 3409b) that was held in May 2019? Unlike other similar appeals where the GLA has directed refusal, there does not appear to be a formal decision associated with this case – could you explain why that is?

The Mayor: The GLA was not a principal party to the inquiry and GLA officers attended to give viability evidence in support of Lewisham Council’s decision to refuse. The GLA spent £5,350 on a build costs consultant and paid £3,000 towards representation by the Council’s barrister (both figures excluding VAT). The costs were below the threshold for a formal approval and were carried out under a Delegated Authority Record.

Support for communities in areas of Strategic Regeneration?

Nicky Gavron: Policies SD1 and SD10 of your new London Plan state that you will provide support and leadership to “Strategic Areas for Regeneration”, which are within the 20% most deprived areas of England, with initiatives undertaken in collaboration with local communities. What funding and resources does the 2020/21 Budget make available to these communities, to empower them to shape their area’s future?

The Mayor: Supporting London’s Strategic Areas of Regeneration is a key aspect of my new London Plan. The Plan requires local authorities to engage and collaborate with their communities throughout the development of regeneration programmes for these areas. We’re also providing support from City Hall, particularly in Opportunity Areas, which include many Strategic Areas of Regeneration.
For example, in developing the Royal Docks & Beckton Riverside Opportunity Area Planning Framework officers have carried out over 20 stakeholder meetings, fifteen pop-up events, five stakeholder workshops, and set up a dedicated consultation website. These costs are met by general budgets.
Through the Good Growth Fund we’ve also supported initiatives in Opportunity Areas to support locally-defined delivery plans, for example at the Old Kent Road, in Bexley Riverside and in Kensal Canalside. Funding through the Good Growth Fund is now fully committed following my recent announcement of £23.7m to support over 40 projects in Round 3. There was an additional one year settlement for Local Growth Deal funding in the recent Budget, which was a key source of funding for the Good Growth Fund. We await further detail on the availability of longer term funding.

Borough of Culture (1)

Leonie Cooper: Following the announcement of Lewisham and Croydon as the winners of the Borough of Culture awards for 2021 and 2023 respectively, how are you ensuring these boroughs learn from the best practice of Waltham Forest and Brent?

The Mayor: Council Leader Claire Coghill has described Waltham Forest’s year as London Borough of Culture as ‘life changing for the council’. It’s essential that what they and Brent have learnt is shared widely with title winners Lewisham and Croydon, as well as with those boroughs across London who are leading Cultural Impact Award projects.
Waltham Forest published their full evaluation on 6 March 2020 at a conference at City Hall which was dedicated to understanding the learnings from their programme. Lewisham and Croydon attended, and it has also been shared with all boroughs.
My Culture team is working with the London Culture Forum at London Councils, a group of borough arts officers. The aim is to support all 32 boroughs to help realise their cultural ambitions. This includes sharing learning from Waltham Forest and Brent and leading a reflective learning process to enable peer to peer support amongst borough officers. Waltham Forest and Brent are sharing their experience with this group, including through workshops on community engagement and programme development.

Borough of Culture (2)

Leonie Cooper: Why has the Borough of Culture award been changed to operate on a two-yearly basis?

The Mayor: Following the announcement of my London Borough of Culture awards for 2019 and 2020, my team reviewed the application process with boroughs and strategic programme partners. The application process is an important part of the programme which helps to benefit all participating boroughs, including those who do not win. It includes workshops, training and advice sessions. For example, Lambeth used the application process to engage its residents and develop a cultural strategy.
Boroughs said they wanted more time to develop partnerships, resources and ambitious cultural programmes, and so it was decided that the programme will move to run every other year. The decision also took into account recommendations from the London Assembly Regeneration Committee’s Creative Tensions report, which proposed the competition be run every two years to allow time for planning and learning.

London Ambulance Service (LAS) performance winter 2019-20

Onkar Sahota: At your regular meetings with the chiefs of LAS, what explanation have they given for the historically high numbers of ambulances stuck outside hospital A&E departments, unable to hand over their patient, this winter?

The Mayor: The NHS has been facing increasing demand and added pressure this winter. Colder weather brings a mix of bugs and respiratory conditions that affect patients and staff, causing a significant spike in hospital handover delays.
LAS is working closely with all parts of the NHS to minimise delays at Emergency Departments (EDs) by reducing the number of patients conveyed to hospital using ‘Hear & Treat’ (being treated over the phone) and ‘See & Treat’ (discharged at the scene). 7,327 more patients were treated this way in November and December compared to the previous year, enabling patients to avoid unnecessary admissions with a decrease of 1,406 patients conveyed to EDs by ambulance.
LAS is also deploying paramedics at the most challenged EDs to help manage handover-delayed patients and working closely with NHS England and NHS Improvement to support the exemplar hospital handover programme across five London sites, to strengthen handover performance and spread best practice.

Better Boilers Scheme and replacement boilers

Caroline Russell: How many better boilers were provided under the Better Boilers Scheme?

The Mayor: My Better Boilers programme replaced and repaired 482 inefficient and broken boilers between 9 January 2017 and 30 November 2017. It was succeeded by my Warmer Homes scheme, which launched in January 2018.

Drinking Fountains in Enfield

Joanne McCartney: Are there any plans to install more drinking fountains in Enfield, in addition to the one in Enfield Town?

The Mayor: In addition to the drinking fountain installed at Enfield Town Station, a further two applications were received. One location did not progress based on our assessment against the programme objectives to identify highly visible sites with high footfall. The feasibility of the other location is currently being assessed by Thames Water and Enfield Council.

Drinking Fountains in Haringey

Joanne McCartney: Do you have any plans to install drinking fountains in Haringey? Residents have asked if you would consider installing one in Highgate.

The Mayor: Yes, we have plans to install fountains in Haringey.
We received applications for fountains at five locations in Haringey. One of these was subsequently withdrawn by the applicant and the remaining four locations are currently being reviewed by Haringey Council and await their confirmation of planning permission. None of the locations being considered are in Highgate.
We now have all the sites we need to install fountains in our current programme with Thames Water and are not accepting additional applications at this stage. I would encourage residents to raise the possibility of having a fountain installed in Highgate directly with the Council.

Training provision for disabled people

Susan Hall: How have you partnered with London boroughs, skills providers and trade unions to promote training provisions that support and meet the needs of disabled people?

The Mayor: Boroughs, skills providers and trade unions are represented on the Skills for Londoners Board and sub-groups which support our work on skills.
The London-wide review into post-16 Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) provision – conducted with London’s skills providers and boroughs - highlighted a significant, growing gap in provision for SEND Londoners.
The largest growth in demand will be for those aged 19+. Through London’s Adult Education Budget, we are working with skills providers, including London’s boroughs, to create a more inclusive education system. I recently announced new flexibilities in the AEB to support the adult education workforce to respond to growing demand for SEND provision and improve the quality of support to learners. These changes follow consultation with boroughs, providers and trade unions on the Skills for Londoners Framework.
The Skills for Londoners Innovation Fund also supports providers to develop projects to improve access to and progression from AEB-funded provision for disabled Londoners.

Retrofit Accelerator - Homes

Leonie Cooper: Will the Retrofit Accelerator for homes prioritise vulnerable Londoners, those living in fuel poverty and the least energy efficient properties?

The Mayor: The primary objective of the Retrofit Accelerator - Homes programme is to reduce carbon emissions. But its target audience (social housing) and approach to improving the performance of dwellings (deep, whole-house retrofit) means that many Londoners vulnerable to fuel poverty and living in some of the least energy efficient properties will benefit.
My Fuel Poverty Action Plan revealed that over 93,000 London households in social housing were in fuel poverty. My Housing in London 2019 report stated that households in social housing have by far the lowest incomes of all tenures, with half of them on less than £13,000 a year.
Because Retrofit Accelerator’s objectives are to drastically reduce carbon emissions while improving the indoor environment, high levels of energy efficiency are a pre-requisite for homes supported by the programme. The majority of homes in the early pipeline are also set to be performance guaranteed, offering vulnerable Londoners further protection from rising energy bills.

Energy efficiency in homes

Caroline Russell: Research from the London Assembly Research Unit shows that at least £22 billion is needed just to bring our homes up to EPC level C. Is this figure in line with your own calculations and, if not, can you detail the research or analysis you have done to work out this cost?

The Mayor: As part of the detailed modelling undertaken for our 1.5°C compatible plan, we estimated that the total capital cost of undertaking energy efficiency retrofits across all existing buildings to be approximately £10 billion (discounted) between now and 2050. Additional building level upgrades such as heat pumps & hybrid heat pumps are not included in this figure. They are detailed on page 26 of the plan.
The model assessed building energy performance against a series of packages which would be required over and above business as usual, to retrofit the existing building stock in London to required emissions levels.
The detailed research and the Zero Carbon pathways tool, which details our assumptions can be found https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/environment/climate-change/climate-action-plan.
Without seeing the research and assumptions behind the London Assembly Research Unit study it is difficult to take a view on the estimate.

Decentralised Energy Enabling Project (DEEP)

Leonie Cooper: In your answer to my question 2020/0502 on Decentralised Energy Enabling Project (DEEP), you stated that you have helped Boroughs and partners secure £25m of Government funding. Which Boroughs have benefited and how much have they secured?

The Mayor: The following have benefited from my decentralised energy programme:

Carbon offset price

Leonie Cooper: What analysis was conducted of the expected carbon reductions associated with different offset price levels?

The Mayor: As part of the evidence base for the draft London Plan, I commissioned the London Carbon Offset Price report. This report assessed the cost and carbon savings for a variety of offset measures to determine a suitable offset price that would allow boroughs to fund a variety of projects through their offset funds. Further details can be found in the report: https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/london_carbon_offset_price_-_aecom_.pdf
The new carbon offset price has been tested as part of the London Plan viability assessment and will incentivise higher on-site carbon reductions before offsetting is considered. Boroughs can also set their own offset prices based on local viability assessments and a number have done this. My London Plan commits to keeping the carbon offset price under review.

Water only schools

Andrew Boff: What research has been undertaken to identify and quantify possible benefits and risks of your water only schools recommendation?

The Mayor: Supporting schools to adopt ‘water only’ policies was included as a recommendation by London’s Child Obesity Taskforce who undertook a thorough review of the evidence on the contributors to child obesity to inform their work. Stakeholders and parents were also consulted on ‘water only’ policies through the development of the London Vision and Great Weight Debate. Many primary schools across the country already have ‘water only’ policies.
In developing the Water Only Toolkit for schools, Public Health England London undertook a review of the evidence which included consideration of examples of existing practice from Amsterdam, New Zealand the USA and research by the World Health Organisation. Headteachers were also involved in reviewing and advising on the Toolkit.

Edmonton incinerator (3)

Joanne McCartney: What progress have you made in securing the powers to ensure that incinerators in London employ the best available air pollution reduction technologies, and can you guarantee that a rebuilt Edmonton incinerator will use these technologies?

The Mayor: In my London Environment Strategy, I committed to asking Government for powers to reduce emissions from currently unregulated sources of emissions. I do not consider that London needs any further incineration capacity beyond that already built or with planning permission.
Waste incineration plant are already effectively regulated by the Environment Agency, who have the powers to hold poorly performing operators to account or even stop activity on the site if emission limits are breached or if Best Available Techniques (BAT) are not implemented.
BAT is currently set at a European level, and current BAT reference documents remain the basis of permits unless and until the UK choses to revise them.
The replacement incinerator will be required to meet current BAT at the time of opening, and will therefore necessarily be less polluting than the older plant.

Edmonton incinerator (1)

Joanne McCartney: Given the Government’s commitment to meeting net zero-carbon by 2050, do you expect them to review the decision to press ahead with the rebuild of Edmonton incinerator?

The Mayor: The decision to approve the updating of the Edmonton Incinerator was made by Government back in February 2017 and work has already begun on the site. It is worth noting that an attempt for a judicial review on the Government’s decision was unsuccessful in November of last year.
The Government’s net zero-carbon commitment, the Court of Appeal ruling on Heathrow expansion and ongoing legal challenges to the redevelopment of the Drax power station have led to wide spread speculation about potential consequences for a number of the national policy statements that determine future planning decisions. It would be fruitless to contribute to this speculation unless and until more detailed national policies start to emerge. When they do, I will scrutinise them and what they mean for London and respond as appropriate.
I do not consider that London needs any further incineration other than that already built or with planning permission. I have therefore opposed the application for a new waste incinerator in Bexley.
Please see my response to Mayor's Question 2020/1387 and Mayor's Question 2020/1388.

Edmonton incinerator (2)

Joanne McCartney: My constituents will be particularly affected by pollution from the new incinerator. Will you reduce the carbon intensity floor of 400g/kWh of electricity generated to meet or better the carbon intensity of National Grid electricity?

The Mayor: I share your constituents’ concerns about the air quality impact from waste incinerators. In my London Environment Strategy I committed to review the carbon intensity floor (CIF) level that waste incinerators need to meet in 2025, or earlier if appropriate, once London’s heat networks and demand are better understood. This review will be performed with a view to tighten the CIF to around 300 grams per kWh of electricity produced.
Please see my response toMayor's Question 2020/1387andMayor's Question 2020/1388.

Royal Collage of Nursing Report

Joanne McCartney: The Royal College of Nursing have recently published a report titled, “Living in the Red: the cost of living crisis for London’s nursing workforce”. What steps are you taking to address the concerns raised in the report?

The Mayor: I welcome the Royal College of Nursing’s report which importantly highlights the cost pressures faced by our valued frontline NHS nurses. Work is underway at NHS England and NHS Improvement (London Region) and Health Education England to establish the London People Board, which will oversee the work to recruit and retain more nurses in London. I am playing my part, as acknowledged in the report, by freezing tube fares and introducing the ‘hopper fare’ on London’s buses. I remain committed to increasing levels of affordable housing and support for Londoners to get on the housing ladder. My Health Adviser, Dr Tom Coffey, met with the RCN on 19 February and I will discuss workforce issues in my next meeting with Sir David Sloman, Regional Director, NHS London.

Car free cities (2)

Nicky Gavron: How far will the new London Plan go to making London a “fifteen-minute city”, which your Parisian counterpart Anne Hidalgo has set out to mean a city where “you can find everything you need within 15 minutes from home”?

The Mayor: Central to the Good Growth principle that underpins the new London Plan is the drive to make the best use of the scarce land we have. Realising this ambition will mean planning development in such a way that leads to Londoners having shorter trips – that can be easily made by a short walk or cycle - to reach the amenities and services they rely on every day.
The policies in the Plan will go a long way to achieving this aim. It strongly supports higher density development, and the co-location of different uses, in areas well connected to jobs, services, infrastructure and amenities; and encourages mixed-use or housing-led intensification within and on the edge of town centres. In addition to helping provide communities with the facilities they need within easy walking and cycling distance, the Plan’s transport and design policies work to make these modes the primary, default choice for millions of Londoners by creating Healthy Streets that are vibrant, attractive, safe and inclusive.

Amy Lamé

Andrew Boff: On 24th February 2020, you said you didn’t appoint Amy Lamé , the information in the link below says you did, which is it?
https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/arts-and-culture/24-hour-london/nig...

The Mayor: Amy Lamé is my Night Czar, a role that I created in 2016 to ensure that London thrives as a 24-hour city. She is an employee of the GLA and not a Mayoral Appointment. Amy Lamé was appointed to the role by the GLA following an open recruitment process.
We have updated the web page to clarify this.

Access to culture for young people (2)

Jennette Arnold: Wealthier families are often able to provide extra-curricular access to cultural experiences for their children, but with UNISON estimating that, between April 2010 and April 2016, £387m was cut from youth service spending across the UK, children from less well off backgrounds are increasingly unable to access the same opportunities. How will your Borough of Culture help to create opportunities for young people where they live?

The Mayor: London has lost more than 100 youth centres since 2011-12 due to Government cuts. In this context, London Borough of Culture is creating constructive opportunities for young people.
In Waltham Forest, all 88 schools were engaged. Eastside Story enabled young people from local estates to explore their potential through theatre. In Brent, the Blueprint Collective involves 82 young leaders in all London Borough of Culture decisions. Seen and Heard, with London School of Economics, helps young people to campaign for inclusive public spaces. VENT, a weekly podcast series with VICE magazine, is made by young people about current affairs that affect them. And the Agency has supported young creative entrepreneurs in Brent and Waltham Forest to run projects improving their local communities.
Lambeth’s Cultural Impact Award, Elevate, is opening up creative workplaces to young people on their doorstep. In Barking and Dagenham, New Town Culture, is creating opportunities for young people in social care through workshops, exhibitions, performances and courses.

Access to culture for young people (1)

Jennette Arnold: Research, including last year from the House of Commons Digital, Culture Media and Sport Committee, has found that schools are being forced to cut their cultural and arts programmes. What discussions have you had with the Secretary of State for Education on this, and what are you doing from within City Hall to support London’s schools to continue this vital activity?

The Mayor: I wrote to the Secretary of State in August 2019 to outline my education priorities.
I’m very concerned that arts and cultural provision is declining in schools and that uptake of creative GCSEs has fallen by 38% since 2010. Creative subjects give young people valuable skills that benefit them both academically and socially, as well providing the skills that employers want. That’s why I’m doing all I can to ensure children have access to creative learning opportunities in school and out.
School engagement is central to my London Borough of Culture programme; during Waltham Forest’s year, every school in the borough took part. My annual Fourth Plinth Schools Awards receive entries from school children in every London borough, this year seeing a record 4,500 pupils take part.
My London Curriculum programme works with cultural institutions to connect schools to London’s people, places and history through culture. Free teacher resources support music, dance and art subjects and I have recently launched two new resources focusing on the South Bank’s cultural offer and London’s thriving fashion industry.

Girls in STEM (9)

Jennette Arnold: How will the Adult Education Budget increase women Londoners’ skills and confidence in STEM?

The Mayor: I want to empower all Londoners to access the education and skills to participate in society and progress in education and work. My Skills for Londoners Innovation Fund is – amongst other things - supporting providers to deliver education and training focused on upskilling those groups—including young people, disabled adults, Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) groups and women—disproportionately under-represented in London’s STEM industries. Through the Adult Education Budget, we are looking at other ways we can enable further education providers to support more women to access education and training in STEM subjects.
My Digital Talent Programme is also targeted at helping more young women and those from BAME groups get the skills, confidence and access to networks to work in the tech sector.

Girls in STEM (8)

Jennette Arnold: How do you work with employers to increase their outreach to women seeking work in STEM?

The Mayor: A key part of my Mayor’s London Scientist programme is linking STEM Ambassadors with schools. 50% of STEM Ambassadors on the programme are female.
In September 2019, I hosted ‘She Who Innovates’, the fourth annual conference by theyouth-led‘Us Programme’ which brought together 15 female STEM professionals and 120 girls aged 15-19.
We’ve allocated £2m of European Social Fund monies to support under-represented groups into STEM sector jobs, working closely with STEM employers and training providers.
My Digital Talent Programme works with a range of providers who work closely with large employers and SMEs to support an average of 49% female learners in training and work placements in the digital sector.
The London Enterprise Adviser Network is also matching senior business volunteers with careers leaders in 430 schools and colleges to improve their careers offer. 59% of volunteers work in a STEM role.

Girls in STEM (10)

Jennette Arnold: How will the Mayor use the Adult Education Budget to ensure girls and students from BAME backgrounds have appropriate access to training and education in STEM subjects?

The Mayor: My Skills for Londoners Innovation Fund is – amongst other things - supporting providers to deliver education and training focused on upskilling those groups—including young people, disabled adults, Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) groups and women—disproportionately under-represented in London’s STEM industries.
We will continue to look at how the Adult Education Budget can be used in London to support more women and Londoners from BAME backgrounds to access training and education in STEM subjects.
My Digital Talent Programme and Mayor’s Construction Academy are also targeted at helping more young women and those from BAME groups develop the skills to work in technical occupations and the construction sector.

Widening participation for BAME young people (2)

Jennette Arnold: The Adult Education Budget (AEB) has as two of its key aims supporting English for Speakers of Other Languages and support for disadvantaged learners. Although you have not yet made sweeping policy changes to the AEB, what initial work has been undertaken in this area?

The Mayor: As part of the readiness conditions agreed with government for the delegation of the AEB to London, we pledged to maintain ‘stability for the sector’ in the first two years. However, we have still made important changes to help disadvantaged Londoners.
By extending full funding of AEB courses to Londoners earning below the London Living Wage, people stuck in low-paid work can now participate in learning, helping them to progress in life and work. This policy change will remove a funding barrier for those in work who have been locked out of funded ESOL provision.
We are also funding new approaches to adult education through the Skills for Londoners Innovation Fund. This £7.3m fund will support 28 innovative, outcome-focused projects across London delivering against our priorities for skills including ESOL, supporting disabled Londoners and supporting those affected by jobs displacement and redundancies.

Widening participation for BAME young people (1)

Jennette Arnold: How will your Budget increase education opportunities for young BAME Londoners, and widen participation in adult education and the jobs market for BAME graduates?

The Mayor: One of the key aims of my Skills for Londoners Strategy is to empower all Londoners to access the education and skills to participate in society and progress in education and work. We’re using the Adult Education Budget, European Social Fund and other funded programmes to support this aim.
Through my Mayor’s Construction Academy and Digital Talent Programme we are investing in training to support young Londoners, particularly BAME Londoners and other under-represented groups, to find and progress in work.
My Workforce Integration Network (WIN)will also continue to address under-representation in London’s workforce.In its first phase, it has focused on supporting young black men aged 16 to 24 years into living wage employment in London.WIN is helping employers understand their role in breaking down structural barriers that prevent Londoners from accessing and progressing in good-quality work so we can build a workforce that properly reflects London’s diversity.

Widening participation for BAME young people (4)

Jennette Arnold: You know I have followed your work diversifying London Fashion Week and our fashion industry with great interest. How are you ensuring that these programmes reach BAME Londoners outside of the major fashion schools?

The Mayor: London’s fashion industry is growing, generating £32 billion for the economy and supporting 890,000 jobs. I believe all young Londoners should have the chance to pursue a career in culture and the creative industries.
I have invested £2m in Fashion District in East London to ensure that our next generation of designers and entrepreneurs are equipped with the skills and workspace to thrive. I have also funded Poplar Works, where London College of Fashion’s Making for Change programme is supporting local Black and Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) women.
This month, I Iaunched Fashion London in partnership with London College of Fashion and UAL. This free new classroom resource for young Londoners will give more insight into the industry and to help improve diversity.The British Fashion Council also runs free Fashion and Business Saturday Clubs, supporting young people, 62% are from underrepresented backgrounds which includes BAME young Londoners.

Widening participation for BAME young people (3)

Jennette Arnold: The Education Panel recommended as part of our work on exclusions that you should work to increase the proportion of BAME teachers and school leaders in London. What progress have you made?

The Mayor: I have awarded the London South Teaching School Alliance a grant to deliver a year-long project to explore ways to improve the retention of BAME teachers across London, following a competitive bidding process.
This will support teachers to stay and progress in the profession. Participants will take part in practical workshop activities throughout the year. Workshops include leading, managing and empowerment and how BAME teachers can be role models for young people. Participants will also receive coaching from a senior school leader and have opportunities to shadow school leaders. The project includes training for governors and headteachers, with a focus on bias within organisational structures and critical race theory. This project will be led by a steering group of successful serving BAME headteachers.
This complements my Getting Ahead London coaching programme for aspiring headteachers. Since launching in 2016, Getting Ahead London has supported 250 leaders, across every London borough. Engaging BAME leaders has been a particular focus of the programme.